A person in an emergency situation may request help using a mobile communication device such as a cell phone to dial a designated emergency number like 9-1-1 or a direct access phone number for the local emergency service provider (e.g. an emergency dispatch center). This call is assigned to one or more first responders by the emergency service provider. However, these communications are typically limited to audio calls with narrow functionality since most emergency service providers that receive emergency calls currently lack the capacity for more sophisticated communications.
In most countries across the world, designated 3-digit numbers exist to place calls for emergency assistance. These calls for requesting emergency assistance are normally made via analog communication channels such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN) since most emergency service providers such as emergency dispatch centers (EDC) or public-safety access points (PSAP) are generally suited to only receive analog landline based calls. However, a vast number of calls requesting emergency assistance now originate from mobile communication devices such as, for example, mobile phones that are capable of communicating via data communication channels (e.g. Internet Protocol (IP)-based communication sessions). Despite the convenience of mobile communication devices, emergency service providers have been unable to leverage these capabilities to provide enhanced emergency communications in responding to emergency requests for assistance.
When a call for emergency assistance is received by an emergency service (e.g. an EDC), the EDC verifies the purpose of the call and other information about the caller (e.g. name, address, location, etc.), and then assigns one or more first responders to assist the caller. The information shared with the dispatcher at the EDC from the communication device of the caller, including any meta-data sent from the communication device of the caller is typically information about the caller. In some instances, in the case of a land-line or an Internet Protocol (IP) based wired phone, additional information about the caller is obtained from a database, for example, an automatic location identification (ALI) database, or a master street address guide (MSAG) based on address information (e.g. home billing address) sent from the caller's communication device. In the case of a wireless calling device, location information may include the location of a nearby cell tower through which the call from the wireless device is routed. The EDC generally receives calls for emergency assistance from the person or persons who are in an emergency situation or are impacted directly by the emergency situation, for example, a fire in a building or a personal health condition. Calls for emergency assistance are typically placed from communication devices that belong to persons calling for emergency assistance. However, in some instances, a call for emergency assistance is made by another person on behalf of the person or persons in an emergency. In some instances the person or persons needing the emergency assistance may not even be in the same geographic location or GPS position as the person or persons calling to request emergency assistance. In these circumstances, the EDC is unable to pull important information necessary for coordinating an emergency response. For example, if the person calling on behalf of another person in an emergency situation does not know the location of the other person, then the EDC lacks any means of obtaining this information. Moreover, the EDC is forced to act as an intermediary between the person in the emergency situation and the first responders, often conveying critical information between the parties using an audio channel (e.g. 2-way radio), wherein there is no way for the person and the first responder to communicate directly or share important information.